Hazard Management - It's Part of Rugby Coaching
by Dr. Dick Borkowski

The subject of safety is boring. No one ever played or went into coaching to become an expert in managing risks. There is no coaching award for fewest injuries or law suits. In short, safety is boring - until an injury occurs.

The objective of this occasional column is to offer some simple ideas to lower the chance of players being injured and programs becoming litigiously involved.

Here's a one minute hazard management program for coaches. Every time you walk on the field to coach:

1. Look for a potential hazard - Two feet off the sideline stood a baseball backstop. The backstop is an excellent safety structure for baseball, but zero for rugby players.
2. Remove the Hazard - Removing a baseball backstop, while not impossible, would be impractical, so you can
3. Cover the Hazard - Portable mats, similar to those used on walls behind basketball backboards, would diffuse this hazard.
4. Adjust the Hazard - Another strategy is to such is to make the playing area a bit smaller. This creates a buffer zone. Ask yourself, - is it better to play on a pitch a bit smaller and safer, or a regulation site and unsafe? If you can't adjust the environment,
5. Remove the Participants from the Hazard - Once you recognize the hazard and:

   can't remove the hazard,
   can't cover the hazard,
   can't adjust the situation,

6. then your next step is to remove the participants from the hazardous area.

Think of these five "Hazard Management" steps not only in terms of equipment and facilities, but also about people. Yes, people can sometimes be more of a hazard than metal backstops. The hazard control plan applies to instruction, conditioning, and supervision techniques.

Coaching is being a hazard manager.

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